It’s true, duck eggs have a higher yolk to egg white ratio than chicken eggs and yes, they are higher in fat. That makes them perfect eggs for crème brûlée. According to one blogger “The duck egg crème brûlée holds the sensation of velvety cream on the tongue longer”. Rocky Day, a longtime Hadlock resident who is known for his crème brûlée (and his meat rabbits!) shares his secret today: duck eggs from his own ducks and the maple syrup recipe variation from the 1997 edition of the Joy of Cooking. He uses all organic ingredients with the exception of the vanilla.

And as long as he is in a secret sharing mood, one other tip – To not lose your ducks and have them run off down the creek forever, keep one in the duck house while you let the others out to roam free and eat your slugs. The roaming ducks won’t abandon their compadre, so they’ll return home at night. Just switch which duck stays home each day! (Otherwise you might find yourself in the futile position of wading in the creek at night trying to catch ducks with a salmon net). He and his wife Cheri Van Hoover often enjoy duck egg crème brûlée after a night of salsa dancing at the upstage. Wahoó!

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or large measure with a pouring lip.

Stir in 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour into six to eight 4- to 6-ounce custard cups or ramekins and place in a water bath. Set the pan in the oven and set the oven temperature at 250 degrees F.

Bake until the custards are set but still slightly quivery in the center when the cups are gently shaken, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Remove the custards from the water bath and let cool to room temperature.

Cover each one tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

Shortly before serving, gently blot any liquid that has formed on the surface with paper towels, then caramelize the surface.

To caramelize the surface: Sprinkle evenly with approximately 1 teaspoon of confectioner’s sugar. Heat with a torch (propane or butane or propylene) at as high a temperature as possible, as quickly as possible, moving the torch rapidly in a circular motion until the sugar melts and is golden brown with darker patches.

Allow to cool for a minute or so to allow the caramelized sugar to become crisp. Then enjoy!!!!

If you don’t have duck eggs of your own, the Corner has duck eggs for sale both from Finnriver Farm (Chimacum) and Valley Rock Farm (Quilcene).